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Tufts Student's Detention Challenged in Vermont Court as Evidence Lacking

Rumeysa Ozturk's lawyers argue her detention violates constitutional rights, citing no evidence of antisemitism or terrorism, while she remains in inhumane ICE custody in Louisiana.

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University in Somerville, Massachusetts, poses in an undated photograph provided by her family and obtained by Reuters on March 29, 2025. Courtesy of the Ozturk family/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Protesters with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and community members march to denounce the Trump administration's recent attacks on free speech and immigrant rights including the arrest of Rümeysa Öztürk at Placita Olverain downtown Los Angeles on April 1, 2025.
Demonstrators take part in a rally in support of Tufts PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk, after Ozturk was taken into custody by federal agents, in Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S. March 27, 2025. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha/File Photo

Overview

  • Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by ICE on March 25 after her visa was revoked, allegedly due to her pro-Palestinian activism.
  • A State Department memo revealed no evidence linking Ozturk to antisemitism or terrorism, undermining the Trump administration's public accusations against her.
  • Ozturk's attorneys are challenging the constitutionality of her detention and visa revocation, arguing it infringes on her rights to free speech and due process.
  • Ozturk has detailed unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the Louisiana ICE facility, including inadequate medical care for her asthma and the removal of her hijab without consent.
  • A Vermont federal court hearing is underway to address jurisdictional issues and her petition for release, with her legal team seeking to move the case out of Louisiana.